Hank Aaron hit the 701st homer of his career, but the blow was lost amid the thundering bats of the Reds, who slugged their way to 9-5 and 13-11 victories over the Braves in a twi-night doubleheader. Joe Morgan collected seven hits for the Reds, including three homers. In the opener, Carl Morton, pitching for the Braves, hit a round-tripper in the fourth inning to tie the score at 3-3 before the Reds exploded for four runs in the seventh on circuit clouts by Morgan and Tony Perez, each with a man on base. Aaron hit his homer off Pedro Borbon in the ninth.

In the nightcap, Morgan resumed his hot hitting with two boundary belts and Bill Plummer and Bobby Tolan each added one for the Reds. The Braves, who had a homer by Darrell Evans, held an 11-8 lead going into the ninth inning when the Reds rallied to win. Tolan and Denis Menke drew walks and Tolan scored when Frank Tepedino booted a grounder by Dan Driessen. Menke crossed the plate on an infield out by Darrel Chaney. After Ed Crosby grounded out, Pete Rose singled for his fifth hit in the twin bill to drive in the tying run. Morgan then smashed his second homer of the game and third of the night for two runs to provide the Reds with their winning margin. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Atlanta Braves 5 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, July      31, 1973 (Night game) at Atlanta Stadium
Reds         2  1  0    0  0  0    4  2  0  -   9 14  0
Braves       0  1  1    1  0  0    0  1  1  -   5 15  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose lf               4   3   3   0     1   0   .334      Garr rf               5   0   1   0     0   0   .279
Morgan 2b             5   2   3   2     0   0   .292      Perez ss              5   1   2   0     0   1   .243
Driessen 3b,1b        5   0   2   3     0   0   .308      Evans 3b              4   0   2   0     1   0   .279
Bench c               3   1   0   1     1   0   .247      Aaron lf              4   1   1   1     1   0   .253
Perez 1b              4   1   1   2     0   0   .296      Baker cf              5   0   2   1     0   1   .290
  Chaney ss           1   0   0   0     0   0   .180      Johnson 2b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .251
Tolan rf              4   1   2   0     1   0   .201      Dietz 1b              4   2   2   0     1   1   .312
Geronimo cf           4   0   1   0     1   1   .162      Casanova c            5   0   1   0     0   0   .223
Crosby ss             1   0   0   0     2   0   .114      Morton p              3   1   2   2     0   0   .200
  Menke ph,3b         2   0   0   0     0   1   .173        House p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Norman p              2   0   1   1     0   1   .075        Tepedino ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .324
  King ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .182        Panther p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Borbon p            1   1   1   0     0   0   .286
  Carroll p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .182

Totals               37   9  14   9     6   3             Totals               40   5  15   4     3   4

Time of Game: 2:52
Left on Base: Reds 8, Braves 12
DP: Reds 2, Braves 2
Doubles: Rose (20), Morgan (25), Dietz (2), Morton (3)
Triples: Garr (5)
Home Runs: Morgan (13), Perez (19), Morton (3), Aaron (28)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (39), Tolan (13)
Sacrifice Flies: Bench (7)
GIDP: Perez (8), Menke (5), Garr (12)
Hit by Pitch: Johnson (5,by Norman)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman                  5     7   3   3   3   2   1  26   3.17
Borbon W(3-4)           3.1   8   2   2   0   1   1  16   2.88
Carroll SV(11)          0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.10
Totals                  9    15   5   5   3   4   2  44

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Morton L(8-9)           6.1  11   7   7   5   2   2  33   3.91
House                   1.2   3   2   2   1   0   0   8   5.40
Panther                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   5.93
Totals                  9    14   9   9   6   3   2  44

Passed Balls: Bench (6)
Hit by Pitch: Norman (2)
Balks: Norman (1)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Augie Donatelli, 3B - Bob Engel


REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Morgan singled [Rose to third]; Morgan
stole second; Driessen singled [Rose scored, Morgan scored];
Bench forced Driessen (shortstop to second); Perez grounded into
a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Bench out at
second]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Garr grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez
singled to left; Evans singled to left [Perez to second]; Aaron
flied out to left; Baker popped to first in foul territory; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Braves 0.

REDS 2ND: Tolan singled to center; Tolan stole second; Geronimo
struck out (catcher to first); Crosby grounded out (third to
first); Norman singled to center [Tolan scored]; Rose doubled to
left [Norman to third]; Morgan popped to catcher in foul
territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Johnson struck out; Dietz doubled; Casanova popped
to first in foul territory; Morton doubled to center [Dietz
scored]; Garr grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 1.

REDS 3RD: Driessen grounded out (shortstop to first); Bench
grounded out (shortstop to first); Perez grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: On a bunt Perez singled; Bench allowed a passed ball
[Perez to second]; Evans popped to second; Aaron walked; Baker
singled [Perez scored, Aaron to third]; Johnson was hit by a
pitch [Baker to second]; Dietz popped to first in foul
territory; Casanova grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 2.

REDS 4TH: Tolan flied out to right; Geronimo flied out to
center; Crosby walked; Norman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Braves 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Morton homered; Garr grounded out (first to
pitcher); Perez struck out (catcher to first); Evans walked;
Aaron forced Evans (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Braves 3.

REDS 5TH: Rose out on an unknown play; Morgan doubled to right;
Driessen grounded out (pitcher unassisted) [Morgan to third];
Bench grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Baker grounded out (pitcher to first); Johnson
popped to shortstop; Dietz walked; Norman balked [Dietz to
second]; Casanova grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 3.

REDS 6TH: Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); Tolan walked;
Geronimo singled to right [Tolan out at third (right to third),
Geronimo to second (on throw)]; Crosby was walked intentionally;
KING BATTED FOR NORMAN; King flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 3, Braves 3.

BRAVES 6TH: BORBON REPLACED KING (PITCHING); Morton flied out to
right; Garr tripled to right; Perez lined into a double play
(second to third) [Garr out at third]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 3, Braves 3.

REDS 7TH: Rose singled to shortstop; Morgan homered [Rose
scored]; Driessen flied out to center; Bench walked; Perez
homered [Bench scored]; Tolan singled; HOUSE REPLACED MORTON
(PITCHING); Geronimo walked [Tolan to second]; MENKE BATTED FOR
CROSBY; Menke grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Geronimo out at second]; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
7, Braves 3.

BRAVES 7TH: MENKE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); DRIESSEN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); CHANEY REPLACED PEREZ (PLAYING SS);
Evans singled; Aaron popped to second; Baker struck out; Johnson
popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
7, Braves 3.

REDS 8TH: Borbon singled; Rose singled [Borbon to second];
Morgan popped to second; Driessen singled [Borbon scored, Rose
to third]; Bench out on an unknown play [Rose scored]; Chaney
out on an unknown play; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Dietz singled; Casanova singled [Dietz to second];
TEPEDINO BATTED FOR HOUSE; Tepedino singled to center [Dietz to
third, Casanova to second]; Garr grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Dietz scored (no RBI), Casanova to third,
Tepedino out at second]; Perez grounded out (second to first); 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 4.

REDS 9TH: PANTHER REPLACED TEPEDINO (PITCHING); Tolan grounded
out (second to first); Geronimo grounded out (first to pitcher);
Menke struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 9, Braves 4.

BRAVES 9TH: Evans flied out to center; Aaron homered; Baker
singled to center; Johnson singled to center [Baker to second];
CARROLL REPLACED BORBON (PITCHING); Dietz struck out; Casanova
forced Johnson (second unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
9, Braves 5.